Smart meters raise questions about cost and privacy in Ohio
Smart meters promise to bring real-time data and potentially more accurate billing for Ohio utility customers.
The idea is that increased accuracy could help reduce unexpected charges, which can occur when traditional meters rely on estimates instead of exact readings.
However, the technology isn't without criticism. The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel points out that building a smart grid is expensive and trickles down to customers.
“We've seen hundreds of millions of dollars spent by various utilities across the state, including FirstEnergy, and sometimes, utilities haven't done as good a job as they should of documenting how they're spending that money and how it's benefiting consumers,” said J.P. Blackwood, Public Affairs Liaison of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel.
If customers want to opt out of the smart meter system, FirstEnergy said it charges a one-time $41.72 fee and a monthly $28.29 charge to keep a traditional meter, costs approved by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
Blackwood said there are also privacy concerns. Smart meters transmit detailed usage data back to the utility company, and he said some worry it could be shared or misused.
“When you operate your electricity, when you turn on your lights, when you turn them off, when you're home, when you're gone. We're very concerned about the privacy of this information,” Blackwood said.
Another issue is disconnections. Some consumer advocates warn that smart meters make it easier to shut off power for nonpaying customers.
The OCC said that disconnections have increased in Ohio since the installation of smart meters.
“Basically you can disconnect a consumer at the press of a button,” Blackwood added.
Health concerns have also come up, but experts said there’s no evidence that the low-level electromagnetic fields emitted by smart meters cause cancer.
FirstEnergy said:
“Smart meters use state-of-the-art technologies that ensure accurate readings while providing customers with information they need to better manage their electricity use. Data collected from a meter and transmitted wirelessly contains specific, unique identifiers associated with the customer's meter number and service address. These fields are validated numerous times to ensure accuracy before the data is used for billing. Smart meters must meet rigorous requirements for accuracy, which were developed by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Ohio Edison will monitor the data transmitted from our smart meters to verify that electricity usage is within expected ranges.”
The rollout of smart meters is part of an ongoing grid modernization investment approved by the PUCO.
FirstEnergy added, "These costs are part of the standard customer charge, which covers billing, equipment, and maintenance."